Week in review — Nov. 28-Dec. 4

Nov. 28: Up for the Challenge

Dwayne Bacon scored a game-high 18 points and Jonathan Isaac got his second double-double of the season (14 points, 13 rebounds) as the Seminoles defeated Minnesota 75-67 on Monday in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.

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Nov. 28: Reinforcements

The Miami Marlins added to their rotation by signing right-hander Edinson Volquez to a two-year, $22 million deal.

USA TODAY SportsPeter G. Aiken

Nov. 28: Big return

Goran Dragic turned in a marvelous double-double with 27 points and 17 assists, but the gaudy numbers weren't enough for the Heat in a 112-104 loss to the Celtics.

USA TODAY SportsSteve Mitchell

Nov. 29: Fresh face

Florida State quarterback Deondre Francois was named the ACC rookie of year after throwing for 3,128 yards and 18 touchdowns in his first season.

Nov. 29: Still reeling

The Tampa Bay Lightning were unable to snap out of their funk against the pesky Blue Jackets as they were handed a lopsided 5-1 loss in Columbus.

USA TODAY SportsRussell LaBounty

Nov. 29: Stunning effort

The Orlando Magic picked up their best win of the season when they clamped down on the Spurs en route to a 95-83 road victory for their first win in San Antonio since 1999.

USA TODAY SportsSoobum Im

Nov. 29: New look

The Florida Panthers came up with the short end of the stick in Tom Rowe's NHL coaching debut, getting a point but falling to the Blackhawks 2-1 in the shootout.

USA TODAY SportsDennis Wierzbicki

Nov. 30: No question

DeMarcus Walker, who shared the FBS lead with 15 sacks and had 17 tackles for losses, was named the ACC's defensive player of the year.

USA TODAY SportsKim Klement

Nov. 30: Time to heal

The Miami Heat announced guard Dion Waiters will miss at least two weeks because of a torn pectineus, a groin muscle on the inner thigh.

USA TODAY SportsNelson Chenault

Nov. 30: No win for you

Dewan Huell had 14 points and seven rebounds in 25 minutes, and the Hurricanes scored 17 consecutive points in the second half to beat previously undefeated Rutgers in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, 73-61.

USA TODAY SportsSteve Mitchell

Nov. 30: Double dose

Miami's Hassan Whiteside did his damage early and then handed the baton to Wayne Ellington. The combination was too much for the Denver Nuggets.

Whiteside had another big game with 25 points, 16 rebounds and four blocks, and Ellington scored 22 points off the bench, lifting the Heat over Denver 106-98 on Wednesday night.

USA TODAY SportsIsaiah J. Downing

Dec. 1: Behind the wheel

Jeff Gordon, the FOX Sports NASCAR analyst and four-time NASCAR Premier Series champion, will headline Wayne Taylor Racing's lineup for next month's Rolex 24 at Daytona in the team's new Cadillac DPi-V.R, it was announced on Thursday.

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Dec. 1: Second star

Nikita Kucherov placed second in the NHL in both goals (10) and points (18) in 15 November outings to power the Lightning (13-10-1, 27 points) to an 8-6-1 month en route to being named the league's second star of the month.

USA TODAY SportsBrad Penner

Dec. 1: Cruise control

Chris Chiozza had 16 points and nine assists off the bench, and the 24th-ranked Gators handled North Florida 91-60 on the road Thursday despite Moore's big night.

USA TODAY SportsLogan Bowles

Dec. 1: Breaking away

Aleksander Barkov scored on a breakaway 2:04 into overtime to lift the Florida Panthers to a 2-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday night, giving their interim coach his first victory.

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Dec. 1: Too much

Vladimir Tarasenko scored three goals and Kevin Shattenkirk added two to lead the Blues to a 5-4 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday night.

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Dec. 1: Slipping up

Marc Gasol scored 25 points, including a pair of free throws with 12.2 seconds remaining to give the Memphis Grizzlies a 95-94 victory over the Orlando Magic on Thursday night.

USA TODAY SportsJustin Ford

Dec. 1: A win's a win

Goran Dragic scored 27 points and the Heat continued to play better on the road with a 111-110 victory over the Utah Jazz.

James Johnson scored a season-high 24 points off the bench and Wayne Ellington added 17 for the Heat, who have five of their seven wins on the road.

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Dec. 2: Taking flight

Aaron Gordon scored a season-high 20 points, Nikola Vucevic had 12 points, 11 rebounds and five assists and the Magic awoke from its slumber to cruise by the Philadelphia 76ers 105-88 in a matchup of slumping Eastern Conference teams Friday night.

Dec. 3: Done for the year

Dec. 3: Overcoming obstacles

The Hurricanes tied their season high with 15 assists, which helped them overcome 16 turnovers and win 74-57 over Wofford in the HoopHall Miami Invitational.

USA TODAY SportsSteve Mitchell

Dec. 3: Blasted

Florida grabbed an early 7-0 lead on Alabama, but that momentary hope was fleeting, as the Crimson Tide tore through the Gators the rest of the game, leaving Florida with a 54-16 loss in the SEC championship game.

USA TODAY SportsDale Zanine

Dec. 3: Finding their feet

Brian Boyle netted a score on a nifty move and Ben Bishop stopped three of four shots in the shootout to give the Lightning a 2-1 win over the Capitals to snap out of their losing streak.

AP

Dec. 3: Wasn't there

The Florida Panthers behind after the Senators scored two goals in quick succession and they couldn't recover in a 2-0 road loss.

AP

Dec. 3: Nail-biter

Hassan Whiteside had 28 points and 16 rebounds for the Heat, who missed out on their first three-game winning streak of the season by falling 99-92 to the Trail Blazers.

AP

Dec. 4: Taking their spots

Florida State moved up to No. 12, Florida dropped to No. 20 and USF slipped one spot to No. 25 in The Associated Press college football poll.

Dec. 4: Bowl season

Bowl matchups were announced Sunday, which included postseason games for five Florida teams.

Dec. 4: Screeching halt

The Dolphins six-game winning streak came to an abrupt halt in Baltimore, as they were walloped 34-6.

USA TODAY SportsMitch Stringer

Dec. 4: Costly mistakes

The Jacksonville Jaguars were once again unable to refrain from shooting themselves in the foot, with several mistakes and miscues leaving them with a 20-10 home loss to the Broncos.

USA TODAY SportsLogan Bowles

Dec. 4: Doing it with defense

Florida State didn't need its usual high-powered scoring Sunday evening, instead relying on stout defense to cruise to a 67-48 win over George Washington in the BB&T Classic.

USA TODAY SportsBrad Mills

Dec. 4: Making some noise

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers continued their push for a spot in the playoffs by beating the Chargers 28-21 in San Diego, thanks to a fourth-quarter touchdown from Jameis Winston to Cameron Brate.

USA TODAY SportsJake Roth

Dec. 4: Getting a point

The Tampa Bay Lightning were unable to find a way past Cam Ward, but goalie Ben Bishop stood tall for regulation, making 29 saves in all as the Bolts salvaged a point in a 1-0 overtime loss to the Hurricanes.

AP

Dec. 4: Clicking into gear

The Orlando Magic had it working on offense and defense Sunday night, beating the Pistons 98-92 to win consecutive road games for the first time this season.